


why the sudden change

by fireandfolds



Series: chronological order, baby [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: ALL the kisses okay, Alex Danvers & Lena Luthor Friendship, Asexual Kara Danvers, Best Friends, Cheek Kisses, Couch Cuddles, Cuddling & Snuggling, Demisexual Lena Luthor, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Endgame Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Forehead Kisses, Friends to Lovers, Head Kisses, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Kara Danvers Needs a Hug, Lena Luthor Doesn't Know Kara Danvers is Supergirl, Lena Luthor Finds Out Kara Danvers is Supergirl, Lena Luthor Knows Kara Danvers Is Supergirl, Lena Luthor Needs a Hug, Lena Luthor is a Softie, Lesbian Lena Luthor, Sharing a Bed, Sleepy Cuddles, Slow Burn Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, They're gay your honor, aka everything i want with a girlfriend, alex is dating whoever you want, but it'll be worth it, cas the driver is a gay softie okay, i'm not ready for ep 5x12, jess is also a gay softie, just like her employer, kara's a useless bi, lena changes her name because she's tired of being a luthor, lena's a useless lesbian, lots of platonic ways to say i love you because it's underrated, maja & i shared a brain cell for this, sam pulls in clutch, slow dancing to jazz at night, slowburn, yes even a real kiss at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:08:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22755277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fireandfolds/pseuds/fireandfolds
Summary: a very fluffy fic of lena finding out that kara's supergirl, changing her last name, and slow dancing at night to billie holiday.title from “say my name” by destiny’s child, covered by hozier.
Relationships: Alex Danvers & Lena Luthor, Kara Danvers & Lena Luthor, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, lex luthor (mentioned) - Relationship, samantha arias (mentioned) - Relationship
Series: chronological order, baby [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2022043
Comments: 19
Kudos: 185





	why the sudden change

**Author's Note:**

  * For [heateqq](https://archiveofourown.org/users/heateqq/gifts).



———

Lena looked up at the clock on her wall, massaging the back of her neck and sighing for the forty-fifth time in the past hour.

Yes, she counted them. No, she wasn’t nervous. What was there to be nervous about? She wasn’t nervous. Nervous? Who is she? She was Lena Kieran Luthor, CEO of L-Corp, a genius with brains and beauty. She could rock a perfect suit _or_ dress and face her board all the same. Why were her hands shaking? Was that sweat on her palms? God, Luthor! Get a grip!

“C’mon, Lena, just get through this stack of papers and you can have a drink.”

Her fingers resumed fidgeting with her pen as her eyes flicked over the soup of words in front of her. As much as she wanted to skip to the back of the packet and just sign her name without reading any of it, but her sense of _doing things right_ held her back.

After all, it was better to read this packet through and understand what she was signing instead of something happening to her company. She could hear her brother in her head, from when he was her brother. _“Listen, Ace. Me and you? We don’t cut corners. We read all the terms and conditions. We prep for battle. Never sign a contract unless you know what you’re entering. Okay? No matter how minor you think the repercussions will be.”_

So far, Lena hadn’t done that, save for one time. But everything has an exception, right?

[ _one week earlier_ ]

Lena walked as fast as she could whilst still maintaining her dignity. Her heart was galloping like it was trying to win the Kentucky Derby. Just ten minutes earlier, Alex Danvers had called, notifying her that her presence was needed at the DEO. Alex had sounded restrained on the phone, and Lena wasn’t sure if she was holding back anger, disappointment, or tears. Nevertheless, it made Lena dread what she was about to hear. She was glad that nobody said anything to her, just waved her through the multiple security checkpoints. Perhaps they saw her jaw ticking, or maybe they were still scared of a _Luthor_. Anyway, it was clear Director Danvers ran a tight ship, and that was appreciated.

At the foot of the stairs stood Alex, stiff and stoic as ever. She was tapping away at a tablet and speaking in hushed tones with her top agents and Brainy. At the sound of Lena’s heels clicking, she turned on her heel, her body and features softening a little. 

Although she wasn’t friends with Alex on a Kara level, she still considered the older Danvers sister a friend. It helped that they had much common ground; Kara being the biggest factor. Alex Danvers was fiercely loyal, whip-smart, and had a PhD in bioengineering. It was hard not to like her, what with her dry sense of humor and older-sister advice.

“Hey, Lena. Thanks for coming.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

Alex didn’t hug like Kara, but both women let out imperceptible sighs and stayed in each others’ embrace for more than 20 seconds. Get those good brain chemicals going, and all. Lord knows they both needed more good neurochemicals, with all the _daddy issues_ and _drinking problems_ between the two of them.

Lena was working on physical contact like hugging, and with the help of Kara she was making great leaps. Kara was such a tactile person and physical touch was her love language, she couldn’t escape getting a hug every time they met if she wanted to. Over time, she no longer stiffened at the feeling of having arms circle her neck and shoulders; she welcomed Kara’s gentle touches. The other girl never hesitated to grab her hand or waist when they walked anywhere together, or sling an arm around her shoulders at game nights or karaoke nights at the alien bar. Whenever they had quiet nights in, they cuddled up close on the couch.

Lena _still_ couldn’t get over the fact that her head rested perfectly in the crook of Kara’s neck; she was already a useless lesbian, and falling in love with her best friend was _yet another_ one of the stereotypes she fulfilled. Kara seemed blissfully unaware of the gay panic swirling around in Lena’s head, except for when the panic traveled down her spine and revved her heart up. Kara would give her a concerned look that quickly went away as she turned to whatever was in front of her (usually potstickers). 

Lena was quickly graduating from just receiving hugs and started giving a few of her own when they met and left each other. Sometimes, when she was feeling particularly brave (and _gay_ ) she would rotate her head up just a bit and swipe a kiss on Kara’s cheek. It always left Kara a stuttering mess that warmed Lena’s heart and soon, Kara was giving them back. Lena had always called Kara “darling”, but recently she was using it more, along with “dear” and “love”. In addition, she started calling Kara “Kar” while the other girl called her “Lee”. Kara was the only one allowed to call her by a nickname; the only other person who did was Lex, all those years ago (“ _I see how it is, Ace_.”).

After years of abuse at the hands of Lillian and unwanted sexual advances from men and women alike since the age of eighteen, she had hardened to any kind of touching, and built her walls up high. Lena used to joke that she has a degree in engineering, and that was why her walls were built well. One disapproving look and a hug from Kara, “ _Please never say that again,_ ” absolutely crumbled them. 

Solid construction, her ass.

“Follow me, please.”

Alex led them through away from the main floor and into her office. It was sparse and orderly, with a bit of dust gathering on some things. It was obvious that Alex didn’t work here much, busy doing a billion other things outside. Lena wondered what her step count looked like. 

A comfy couch with a colorful, soft blanket was tucked into the corner. This corner _screamed_ Kara, and Lena had to bite back a smile when her eyes landed on it. This wasn’t the time, she could crush on Kara later. Right now was help-the-DEO-save-Supergirl’s-mangled-ass- _again_ time.

“Cop a squat.”

Alex closed the door gently behind Lena and sat down heavily next to her, her shoulders sagging and the Director persona sliding off. Lena laid a hand on her shoulder, silently offering support. Gratefully, Alex acknowledged this by looking over, putting her hand over Lena’s and squeezing once. Alex sucked in a breath, closed her eyes, and when she opened them again she was Director Danvers again. Then, she launched right into it.

“Supergirl is Kara.”

Lena blinked. Did she hear that right? Kara is Supergirl?

Suddenly, everything fell into place. The horrendous excuses, the constant rushing off to, “ _chase stories, Lena! Crime doesn’t stop for anyone!_ ”. The windblown look her hair adopted when she returned. The _insane_ amount of food she could keep down, and with that body. Lena remembered the time she accidentally dropped her phone trying to take a photo of Kara covered in flour in her kitchen one Saturday morning, a cozy day after a sleepover; she was prepared to pick up her cracked phone off the floor, but instead found Kara smiling at her, holding her phone out. She took it gratefully and forced Kara to smile for the camera again.

She didn’t realize it then, but now she figured out that Kara would’ve had to grab the phone before it landed on the floor, which would require reflexes faster than any human had.

Lena searched herself. Was she mad about Kara keeping the secret from her? No, she realized that just because she divulged her secrets, didn’t mean she was entitled to Kara’s. Sure, it would’ve been nice if the secret-sharing was reciprocated, but Kara showed she trusted Lena in other ways. Kara was the first _real_ friend that Lena had ever had. Even after the whole Kryptonite thing, Kara showed her vulnerability as Supergirl and apologized genuinely. And if she was being honest with herself, Lena always had an inkling that Kara could be Supergirl. She chose not to push too hard because of what the friendship offered.

Kara was the welcoming, bright constant in Lena’s life. They both helped each other expand their perspectives and carried each others’ burden. Lena found comfort in Kara’s warm, strong arms and the clean scent of her detergent mixed with her shampoo. The cozy nights in were always Lena’s favorite; cuddled up against Kara leafing through a good book or watching something on tv was her idea of paradise. Lena had as many clothes at Kara’s place as she had at her own, and sleepovers were common.

Evidently, her silent rumination made Alex think she was mad, because she started rambling at a fast clip, rivaling even Kara. 

“It’s not because you’re a Luthor! Well, yes, maybe a _little_. But not the reason you think! Kara and I thought it best if you didn’t know because of the threat posed on you. If you knew about Kara’s identity, we thought that Lillian or Lex would take you and force it out of you. You already get attacked enough and assassination attempts seem to be on a weekly schedule. We didn’t want to add any more stress. And believe me, now that you know what you know, nothing will be the same. I’m barely holding it together as it is. It hurts every time I send her out there, knowing that she may not return one day.”

With these words, the director mask slipped again, and Alex Danvers caved into tears building up behind her eyes. What is left is a tired and frightened older sister, thrust into situations she’s nowhere near prepared for. Lena gently pulled her into her shoulder, slipping a handkerchief into Alex’s hand. What self-respecting Luthor _doesn’t_ have a handkerchief with monogrammed initials?

“I’m not mad, Alex. I understand why you kept it a secret. But I feel like there’s more to it, and I’ll have to ask Ka-”

Suddenly, Lena’s brain skidded to a stop. Kara is Supergirl. _Kara is Supergirl._ Kara is Supergirl, who was _just_ beaten to a pulp on national television. Her heart rate started up again, and she started fidgeting with her fingers; a habit she had tried valiantly to break. 

“Alex. How bad is it.”

“Bad.”

Alex rubbed her eyes and wiped away the tears, standing up away from the couch and striding over to her desk. She opened a drawer and extracted a thick packet. _Great, more papers._ Pen and packet in hand, she grabbed a clipboard on the way back to the couch, handing it all to Lena. Traveling back to the other side, Alex poured two glasses of water, bringing them back to the couch and sat down next to Lena.

“Kara’s pretty messed up right now, but she’s under the sun lamps. She woke up for a second, asking for you, and then slipped back under. That’s when I called you. I made the executive decision to inform you of her identity, because it’s pretty clear that to see her now you kinda have to know. So, read through the NDA carefully and once you sign it, I can take you to her. Sorry, if it were my way I’d let you sign afterward, but this order is over my head too.”

So, the faster she signed the papers, the sooner she could see Kara. Lex’s words floated in her head, warning her to read the whole form before signing it. But Lena didn’t have time for that. _Fuck it_ , she thought, skimming through the pages until she arrived at the signature line. Lena only hesitated for a second before moving the pen across the line. She handed the packet back to Alex who looked at her strangely; there were more than 20 pages to the contract, and there was no way even a genius like Lena could have read all of them. But then, she got it. Lena was _desperate_ to see Kara, so much so that her CEO instincts weren’t putting up much of a fight. Lena was willing to let this contract be signed without reading a single word of it, all to see Kara. Alex filed the form away, then opened the door to her office.

“C’mon, let’s take you to her.”

They hustled down the hallways until they got to the med bay. Alex stopped Lena in front of the Sun Room, giving her a last warning. 

“This is the point of no return. If you enter this room, you’re basically signing yourself up for a lifetime of stress, potential stomach ulcers and heart attacks. You’re making a promise to always be there for my baby sister. She’s been to hell and back, quite literally. She’s even come back from the dead once. While her physical body can heal easily, she needs her support group of loved ones to help with her mental health. Are you ready to step up?”

“Of course. I- I care for her a lot, Alex. More than you will ever know.”

Alex shot her a small smile and gave her a quick hug before leaving Lena alone at the door, as she had director duties to deal with. Lena took a deep breath to relax her jangling nerves, and twisted the doorknob before she could think twice. When she crossed the threshold, the breath escaped her lungs like a deflated balloon.

“Oh, _Kara_.”

Kara was lying under the bright lights, stock still. She was dressed in a black DEO-issued t-shirt and shorts, wrapped in white bandages, and surrounded by beeping machines. Lena rushed to her side, gently grasping one of her cold, pale hands and caressing Kara’s cheek with her other hand. Her eyes traveled down the battered and bruised Kryptonian body, stopping at the gaping scar on her left leg. Lena leaned down and kissed her forehead and sat down next to her. She pulled out her phone and texted Sam. 

[Sam, Kara’s been hurt. I’d like to step away from L-Corp and Catco until further notice. How would you like to be temporary CEO? Jess can help you. After I come back, you can be CFO. I’ll hire a replacement for the Metropolis branch and make sure Ruby adjusts well. What do you say?]

[Sure, Lena. Thank you for tying up all loose ends. Ruby and I can get to NC in three days. We’ll see you then.]

Lena stowed her phone away and brought her attention back to Kara. Brushing some loose strands of hair away from Kara’s face, Lena vowed to help Kara heal every step of the way. Three nail-biting, harrowing days passed with Lena sitting by Kara’s bedside, filling out papers electronically, conducting interviews from her laptop, and making the transition for Sam easier. Yes, Lena went home to shower and change clothes, but otherwise all her hours were spent at the DEO. She also spent _way_ too much time staring at Kara’s profile and playing with the blonde’s fingers, but no one needed to know that. When she wasn’t with Kara, Lena was in the lab, tinkering with electronics and metal, trying to get her frustrations out at not being able to hear Kara’s laugh. 

———

After three days, the fingers Lena were fidgeting with finally moved. Lena immediately paged for Alex and Dr. Howard, then turned to see Kara’s sky blue eyes opening slowly.

“Lena?”

“Easy, darling. I got you. Welcome to the land of the living. You wanna sit up?”

“Please.”

Alex came into the room with the doctor, scooped Kara into a hug, smacked multiple kisses on her forehead, then tweaked her nose. 

“Oh my god, you’re awake! Why do you have to be so _reckless_?!”

“Aw, come on, Alex! Lighten up! I had it under control!”

“No, you almost fucking _died,_ Kar! Do you get that? You got kryptonite injected into you and your leg almost got cut off! You do _not_ get to tell me to ‘lighten up’ because I was _really fucking worried_ , okay?”

At the sound of her real name, Kara shot a worried look towards Lena.

“She knows, Kara! I had to tell her, after you momentarily woke up from your coma, asked for Lena, and then went under again! It’s been _three days,_ Kara. _Three_! _Days_!”

“I’m sorry, Al…”

Kara let out a sigh and opened her arms up for Alex to fall into them again. Lena could see tears in both sisters’ eyes, but before she could feel like she was encroaching on a private time, Alex turned to her and wrapped her in a hug, her tears soaking the collar of Kara’s sweatshirt Lena was wearing. After a while, Alex straightened up, flicking away tears from the collar. 

“Sorry ‘bout that.” 

“Lena shook her head, pulling out the handkerchief again and cupping Alex’s face gently with one hand while wiping away her tears.

“No worries, Director.”

The professional side of Alex took over as she sobered up quickly and stood next to Dr. Howard to deliver the medical report to Kara.

Kara reached for Lena’s hand as Dr. Howard started her spiel. Lena squeezed the hand in hers and rubbed the knuckles comfortingly.

Initially, Kara had come in with broken ribs, a concussion, multiple contusions and lacerations, and a black eye. Perhaps the most worrying thing was her left leg, which was dangerously close to being amputated. The liquid kryptonite injected into Kara by one of Lex’s cronies had rendered her powerless and a sheet of metal had nearly sliced the leg completely off. Kara absorbed all the information silently, seemingly unpurprised. Her hand tightened in Lena’s, however.

After Alex exited the room, sky blue met pale green.

“So, you know.”

“I do.”

Once again, the blonde opened up her arms, and Lena fell into them haphazardly.

“Here, sit with me in bed? Please, Lee?”

Kara didn’t have to ask twice. Kicking off her sneakers, Lena climbed in and rested her head on the older girl’s shoulder.

For a couple minutes, the women enjoyed their close proximity and relief at the big secret _finally_ being out. Then, Lena turned and wrapped her arms around Kara’s neck, pecked her cheek, and tucked her head under the other’s jaw.

“That was quite a scare you gave me, my dear.”

Lena could feel Kara’s hands sliding up her back, stopping under her shoulder blades. Her touches were more free now, without the pressure of superhuman strength to worry about. 

“I’m sorry, Lee. I was just _so angry_. The bad guy was saying some awful stuff about you, and I lost my cool.”

“My knight in shining spandex, hmm?”

Lena broke into a small smile, hearing Kara splutter and fluster adorably. She had mercy on the now red-faced Kryptonian, pulling away and asking her,

“So, what exactly _did_ I sign in order to see you?”

“ _Lena!_ ” 

This shut Kara up for a good few seconds. She gaped at Lena, who gently closed the open mouth with one perfectly-maintained finger.

“Careful, darling. Don’t want to catch flies now.”

“Who are you and what have you done with my best friend? About yea tall,” she gestured at her shoulder, “a general badass, extremely capable at her job and very smart and pretty. The Lena Luthor _I_ know would never sign a form without reading it!”

“Well, the only way I was going to see you was if I signed the form. So I did. There was no time for reading, so I figured the resident Supergirl would know. I would’ve asked Alex, but I do prefer the younger Danvers sister.”

“Aww, shucks. Well, it’s just your typical NDA, don’t tell anyone about my identity, yadda yadda. You’ve probably signed a bunch of them like that at work.”

Kara sighed, running long fingers through her hair. 

“You got any questions pertaining to the whole Supergirl thing?”

“Just humor me. Was it because of the Luthor thing?”

Even though Lena was _positive_ that wasn’t it, she just had to make sure. 

“Course not! Well, at first it was. Can’t go around telling everyone I meet my secret, right? That means it wouldn’t be a secret anymore. But after the initial tentative friendship phase passed and we got to really know each other, I found myself not wanting you to know.”

Hurt was obvious on Lena’s face, but Kara brushed a soft kiss on her temple, pulling away again to maintain eye contact.

“Hold on, it’s not what you think it is.”

A deep huff came from Kara and a couple false starts later she was fidgeting madly with her fingers. Lena gently took Kara’s left hand in hers, pulling a ring out of her pocket and slipping it on the pointer finger of the hand she was holding. 

“Fidget ring, nth metal. Made it myself. I noticed whenever we were together, you always seemed to be fidgety and restless. I imagine having Kryptonian levels of energy would do that to you.”

Kara nodded her thanks, then took a deep breath, looked up at the ceiling, and closed her eyes.

“My name is Kara Zor-El Danvers, and I am the last daughter of Krypton. My parents sent me away to be one of two survivors, and I watched my planet, _my home_ , explode before my very eyes. The explosion sent me off course and I was trapped in the Phantom Zone, a place where time doesn’t pass, for 24 years. I was meant to be asleep, but the pod wasn’t working like it should have and I remember looking out into the dark, wondering when it would end. 

When I finally pulled out of the Phantom Zone, I landed on earth as a scared thirteen year old, looking into the eyes of the very man I was sent here to raise. Not only had I failed my last mission my parents gave me, my cousin Kal-El wanted nothing to do with me and sent me off to live with a human family. I spent the next few years learning how to hide my powers, dress to blend in, dumb myself down to remove suspicion, and essentially _be human_. The one time I didn’t was the thing that took Jeremiah away from Alex and Eliza. 

I have never really had the freedom to tell whoever I want. In fact, I’ve only told three people myself. The first was Winn, the day after I first came out as Supergirl. I was literally shaking from adrenaline and I _had_ to tell someone. The second was Lucy. The third was Nia, because I wanted her to know that I understood what she was going through. Everyone else in the friend group knows because of they’re family, part of the DEO, or through Kal. Kal is Clark, by the way. 

When I met you, standing next to Kal, I felt _seen_. I wanted to tell you, but Alex, J’onn, James, and Kal made me keep quiet about it. Over time, I found myself _not_ wanting to tell you, because of how you treated Kara Danvers. I could really be myself with you, y’know? Everyone else, especially Alex, sees the superhero first, before the actual me. You saw me for me. When I was around you, I could be vulnerable, tired, scared, happy, excited, whatever I wanted. I could be open about being claustrophobic, having PTSD from watching my planet explode and having no one to talk to for twenty-four years, and having nightmares often. Maybe I told you some different details, but the point is that the relationship we have is the most open and intimate I’ve been with anyone. Only recently did I figure out that you’d treat me the same way you always have after knowing the whole Supergirl thing. You probably get it more than anyone will, because of the Luthor thing.”

For a few seconds, Lena just stared at Kara, trying to take her word-vomit in. She blinked a couple times, and then a slow smile spread over her face.

“So what you’re saying is, you kept Supergirl a secret because you wanted to be treated like a not-hero? Like how I wanted to be treated like a not-Luthor? And for some reason you thought once I knew, I would stop treating you like anything less than _my_ Kara?”

“ _Lenaaaa_!”

At Lena’s gentle ribbing, Kara dove into her neck, and although her face wasn’t visible, Lena could just _hear_ her pout. The young Luthor chuckled and wound an arm around the reporter, coaxing Kara out of her hiding place with a hand under her chin.

“I understand, darling. I’ll admit I’m a little hurt, but I know you weren’t trying to hurt or betray me. Just promise me one thing?”

At this point, Kara was back in the crook of Lena’s neck, so she hummed her assent into the other woman’s chest.

“No more secrets, okay?” She pokes Kara’s nose. “Let me know what you’re doing. I want to help you, but more importantly, I want to be there for my best friend. Don’t shut me out. Not again.”

Then, a thought came to Lena’s head. 

“So all those times you stopped calling and texting, was it because you were in a coma?”

Kara froze, and slowly pulled her head out of the crevice to level with Lena.

“Yeah… that was the only reason why I _didn’t_ want to tell you. Lee, you’ve got enough on your plate as a CEO of _two_ companies, and I’ve seen firsthand how this job affects the people I love, especially Alex,” Kara sighed out. “But the pros outweighed the cons. I was planning on telling you, but then _this_ happened,” she waved a hand over her bruised and bandaged body, “so I guess I don’t have to worry about how I’m gonna tell you.”

Lena felt her heart halt momentarily, then pick up again at a panicky rate. She remembered all the times Kara dropped off the radar, didn’t return her texts or calls. What she thought was Kara avoiding her or not liking her was _actually_ Kara being the most _goddamn_ selfless being on the planet. Images of Su- _Kara_ in the rubble following her battle with Reign flashed in her mind, and Lena immediately threw her arms around the other girl tightly. She hoped her love and affection for Kara was apparent in her hug, as she couldn’t find the words. It was Lena’s turn to burrow into the junction of Kara’s neck and chest, laying her head over Kara’s heart. Soon, her own heart slowed to match the strong, steady beat she felt under her.

“Well, now that I know, I’m going to be here for the healing process. No ifs, ands, or buts.”

“But L-Corp and CatCo-,”

“-Are under Sam’s careful supervision. Oh, she and Ruby have moved back here, by the way. She’s temporarily CEO while I help you and Alex.”

Kara stared at Lena for a couple seconds, twisting Lena’s fidget ring, and dropped her head back on the pillow. 

“Thanks, Lee.” she mumbled. “If I’m being completely honest, I’m really scared of losing my leg. Before the Supergirl gig I rarely got hurt, and the few times I did absolutely terrified me to the core. Nothing this big has happened since Reign, and I still haven’t processed _any_ of that.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I insist on staying then.”

The fight finally left Kara fully and she sagged in the bed. Lena pulled her in again, letting Kara rest on her chest this time. She noticed that the blonde gravitated toward her heart. The CEO connected the dots. 

“Darling, are you trying to listen to my heartbeat?”

Kara blushed and rambled, “Yeah. Normally when I have my powers I can listen to your heartbeat without physically being near. It’s something I started to do after we met each other out of necessity because you kept getting targeted. But after that, your heartbeat became an anchoring point, something I could use to ground myself in reality and keep myself from falling off the cliff into panic. Is that okay? I can stop doing that if you want. Does it make you uncomfortable? Is it a breach in privacy? Are-,”

“Relax, Kar, it’s more than okay. I know how bad your panic attacks are. Nice to know that Supergirl is always looking out for me, because my back does constantly seem to have a bullseye on it. Now how about we get some rest? After all this excitement I’m feeling a bit knackered.”

Kara snuggled in further, resting her head fully on Lena’s chest, with less weight on her shoulders now. Two secrets out of the bag and Lena had still stuck around. In no time, they were both in a deep slumber. 

———

In the following days, Kara took her injuries in stride and started her physical therapy as soon as possible, with Lena’s help. She stayed at the DEO for the duration of her therapy, for observation purposes. Lena passed the companies over to Sam and devoted most of her time to working with Alex, searching for the bastards that attacked Kara. The rich bitch she was, Lena bought Kara a nice wooden cane, with her initials on the handle. She presented it to Kara a couple days later. 

While Kara was busy recovering from her wounds and finishing her physical therapy regimen, Lena and Alex had found the men who had attacked her, throwing them into one of the DEO’s most secure holding cells. There was some stress lifted off their shoulders; now all that was left was for Kara to continue healing.

After five days at the DEO, Kara was put under "house arrest" to recuperate in the comfort of her own home. Shyly, she had requested space, because " _I'm sorry guys, but being surrounded by people and machines and bright lights for five_ _straight_ _days has really drained my social battery."_ The Luthor texted Kara often in between meetings, but other than that she didn't get to see her at all. Lena missed her constant warmth and hugs, but didn't push. She knew what needing space was like.

[ _present day_ ]

Suddenly, there was a knock at Lena’s office door, which pulled her out of her reverie. A quick glance at the clock again showed it was 6:00 sharp, the time that Kara had made Lena agree to for their movie night. This was the first movie night they were going to have since Kara got hurt. 

With the knowledge of Kara’s identity now in her mind, Lena shared more secrets with her, and overall their relationship got closer. With Sam working as CFO at L-Corp, Lena spent more time at CatCo than ever, learning the ropes and really going all the way in regards to leading the media company. 

Kara could now talk shop with Lena, coming clean about _exactly how much_ science she knew. At first Lena was affronted, but soon got over it in exchange for excitement over bouncing her _many_ ideas off someone who could level with her. (“ _Wait, there are multiple earths? And you’ve been to them?? Kara Zor-El Danvers, I swear to god if you don’t take me next time I’m not buying you potstickers for a week._ ”) Their lunch breaks were filled with tales of Krypton and stories of boarding school shenanigans in Ireland. Kara was candid about Supergirl emergencies now, always apologizing and rushing off with a hug and a peck on the cheek. Whenever she returned, she’d drop in to Lena’s CatCo office, rambling about her latest excursion. Lena always adjusted her clothes or cleaned…things (Lena didn't want to know) off her face. She was astounded that Kara’s secret had stayed a secret this long still, considering how careless she was. So Lena did her part, helping Kara clean up before assigning her a story. 

Since being told about Kara’s secret, Lena asked Alex if Jess could be notified as well. She trusted the young secretary with her company and her life, as she was a loyal and steadfast worker. Jess, to her credit, barely batted an eye before signing the contract, too. Jess had moved with Lena over to CatCo, taking great pride in vetting all visitors who demanded entrance to the CEO’s office. She always let Kara in, after asking about her day. While she saw the crooked lapels and collars and flyaway hairs, she left those to Lena.

“Come in!”

As the door opened, Lena walked around her desk and Kara came bounding in. Despite the damage done to her leg, she remained positive and vibrantly full of energy. She refused to let this minor thing hold her back, deciding to paint her cane with colorful flowers and varnish. 

“Hey, Lee.”

“Hello, darling.”

Lena met Kara in the middle of her office, where she was immediately pulled into a warm hug. Immediately Lena’s nervousness melted away in the familiarity of Kara’s arms. What was she nervous about? They had done movie night before, and Kara was the same person. 

"I missed you," she softly spoke into the taller woman's chest.

Kara's arms tightened around Lena, who could feel the chest she was leaning into depress as the reporter slowly exhaled. "I missed you too."

Lena pulled back and made to step away from Kara to pack up her things, but spied multiple smudges of grease on the right side of Kara’s face at the jawline. She whipped out her handkerchief ( _“Handkerchiefs get all the ladies, Ace. Who carries one around anymore? No one? Exactly.”_ ) and scrubbed the spot gently.

“Dear, what did you get into? It looks like you fought with a petrol truck.”

“Uh- yeah, ah, the alien I was fighting threw a car at me.”

Kara blushed slightly and looked at the floor, rubbing the back of her neck and tapping her cane while mumbling thanks. She bounced up again after a second.

“Ready to go, Lee? I’m so excited! I’ve been looking forward to this all week! I’m so glad you finally have time to _relaaaax_ and watch some _showwwwws_!!”

“Wait.” Lena halted Kara as she moved to get the CEO's coat. “Can we just- take a second? You're a sight for sore eyes, and I'd love to slow down before we go home."

Kara's questioning ga(y)ze softened with understanding and she nodded. "Yeah, okay."

Both women put their things down next to the coffee table and Kara pulled Lena into a hug, taking comfort in each other's presence. The tension in Lena's neck was leached away with Kara's warmth.

After a few minutes, Kara pulled away from Lena with a light kiss on her hairline. As she watched Lena pack her things into her briefcase, Kara _vibrated_ in place with excitement. She helped the younger woman into her coat, wrapped her scarf around her neck, and straightened her beanie. As thanks, Lena smacked a kiss on her cheek, lingering only _slightly_. 

"C'mon! Let's go!!"

Kara pulled Lena out of her office, and stopped at Jess’ desk. The secretary perked up, glad that Kara had been using her good influence to get Lena out of the office at an earlier time more often. she had noticed a marked change with the young CEO; she smiled more and even started calling her apartment “home”. Kara was a good cookie, and Jess hoped she stuck around.

“Jess, I’m going home. Once I leave, please lock up and head home too. I’m sure your girlfriend will appreciate it if you got home earlier than usual.”

“Yes, Miss Luthor. Have a good night.”

“Jess, you know you can call me Lena, right?”

“I do, Miss Luthor.”

Kara snickered behind Lena’s back as she watched the exchange. Lena shot her a look™, mumbling _“you’re lucky you’re cute”_ under her breath and rolled her eyes. She grabbed a blushing Kara’s hand and led her to the elevator. Once over the elevator threshold, Lena’s head sagged to Kara’s shoulder, the stress of the day finally hitting her.

“You okay there, Lee?” Kara asked kindly, kissing the top of Lena’s head.

“Fine, darling. Just a rough day with a lot of meetings. Looking forward to getting home.”

The elevator doors opened and Lena straightened up again. She may be tired, but appearances were important, one of the only things she agreed with her mother about. She kept her hand in Kara’s though, the warmth was grounding. Kara held the door open to her car and slid in after her.

“Evening, Cas.”

Cassandra ( _“But ‘Cas’ for short, please, Miss Luthor!”_ ) tipped her hat. “Good evening Miss Luthor, Miss Danvers. Where to?”

“My place, please.” Lena turned her head to Kara. “Is that alright?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

To pass the time, Kara struck up a conversation with Cas about her family. In the five minutes it took to drive up to the penthouse, Kara had learned that Cas was happily married to her “lovely wife” Eve for one and a half years, and they had a baby on the way. They wished Cas good luck and trudged into the building. In the elevator, Kara and Lena spoke in hushed tones about baby names. Somehow, they transitioned to names in general. 

“Why didn’t you change your name when you came to Earth?”

“Well, ‘Kara’ was decidedly more acceptable on Earth than ‘Kal’, so I just kept it. I had enough stuff going on in my life, and Eliza and Jerimiah wanted to make the transition as easy as possible. So, I just kept the name. I’m glad I didn’t change my name, it reminds me of home. What about you?”

“Hold that thought.”

They stopped at the door. Lena pulled out her keys and led the way into her apartment, shedding her oxfords and winter gear, then walking into her office to set her briefcase down. Kara, already familiar with Lena’s routine, slipped off her shoes as well and padded further into the apartment. Bypassing the office, she went into the master bathroom. 

Shrugging off her shoulder satchel and putting down her cane, she changed into the clothes she brought with her: L-corp sweatpants, and Lena’s well-loved MIT crewneck sweater. Lena had left the sweater at Kara’s last time they had movie night, and Kara elected to keep it. The sweatpants were a little hard to put on because of her leg, but she managed it after a bit of wiggling. Folding up her work clothes into her satchel and grabbing her cane, she exited Lena’s bedroom and entered the living room, where Lena was sitting on the couch ordering takeout.

Lena was dressed similarly, wearing Kara’s CatCo sweatpants and National City University sweater, plus her glasses. After Kara stole (" _Borrowed, Lena! Borrowed! I intend to give it back!”_ ) her MIT sweatshirt that she so loved, Lena decided to steal her National City University sweater right back. Surprisingly, Kara let her; she could have easily taken it off with her super speed, but she just smiled and pecked her cheek. 

“Fine, Lee! You win, but only because you look so comfy in it!”

Kara flopped next to Lena on the couch, dropping her glasses on the coffee table. She leaned on Lena's shoulder, looking at what she was ordering. Once Lena sent the order in, Kara asked again.

“Have you ever wanted to change your name?”

Lena bopped Kara’s nose and answered slowly.

“Actually, yes. I’ve wanted to distance myself from the Luthor name for so long, but I don’t know what I would change my last name to. I want to still acknowledge that it’s the Luthor name that allowed me a lot of opportunities, their wealth and fame opens up a lot of doors. I was thinking something more Irish, like McLuthor? Honestly, if you put ‘Mc’ or ‘Mac’ in front of a non-Irish sounding name, it sounds pretty Irish.”

“McLuthor...I can see it. Hey, why don’t we go down to the courthouse tomorrow morning before work and get it officially changed? Rao knows you have more than enough money to do that. I can come with you for emotional support!”

Lena chuckled. “Sure, Kar, that sounds great. Thank you.”

“Now, what tv show do you wanna watch?”

“ _The Mandalorian_ , of course.”

Lena pulled up the show and snuggled into Kara’s side. When the food came, she grumbled and shuffled to the door, eager to get back near her walking space heater. The best friends ate quickly and cuddled up again. After about 3 episodes, Kara felt the young Luthor getting heavier and heavier on her shoulder. She quietly shut off the television and carried Lena to bed, floating slightly to take pressure off her still-sore leg. After gently slipping off the CEO's frames, she laid Lena in the bed and slid in next to her. Lena turned sleepily towards Kara and nosed her way into her arms.

“Thanks for bringing me to bed, Kar. I’m so tired I wouldn’t have been able to do it.” Lena planted a sleepy kiss on the edge of Kara’s jaw, too exhausted to stretch up to her cheek.

“Night, Lee.” Kara whispered into Lena’s dark hair, listening for her heartbeat to slow down before drifting off to sleep herself.

———————

Lena woke up surrounded by warmth. She smiled to herself, basking in the warmth that Kara exuded. She started stroking Kara’s face gently to try and wake her up—she learned from experience that a sudden loud noise like “WAKE UP, KARA!!” made her kick into Supergirl mode. She tried this at the DEO and before she knew it, her gay ass was on the other side of the room. Kara apologized profusely, but Lena was laughing so hard that it appeased Kara enough to stop panicking ( _“I’m fine, darling, -chuckle- I’m more than fine.”_ ).

“Kara, it’s time to get up… I’ll make pancakes if you wake up right now!” Lena singsonged.

Kara’s eyes shot open and she sat up, bringing Lena with her. “Pancakes?!” she sprang out of bed and rushed toward the bathroom to brush her teeth, leaving Lena behind in the bed shaking her head and rolling her eyes. _That damn puppy_. 

Lena sidled into the bathroom and they brushed their teeth together, racing each other to the kitchen. They made blueberry pancakes, with half the blueberries they started with ( _“You started the food fight, Lee! Supergirl never backs down from a challenger!”_ ). They ate quickly, and Kara flew back to her place to pick up some clothes while Lena changed in her bedroom. Soon, they were on their way to the courthouse. 

“Morning, Miss Luthor! What can I do for ya?” A young clerk with ED on his nametag perked up at the sight of the CEO. Since her continued work in alien healthcare and explicit support from Supergirl herself, Lena’s reputation in National City was on the up and up.

“Good morning, Ed. I’d like to change my last name, please.”

“Alrighty! Here’s the form for that, please fill this out and get back in line once you’re done!”

Lena and Kara migrated to some folding chairs off to the side, and Lena started reading. After she carefully went over every page and followed the instructions, she got back in line with Kara. 

“Congrats, Miss McLuthor. Have a good rest of your day!”

“C’mon Lee! Let’s get to work! Ooooh, can we get Noonan’s before we go in?”

——————

After a series of headache-inducing meetings with CatCo’s board of advisors, Lena was ready to throw her water glass into her balcony door. Fortunately, Kara swooped into her office with lunch and calmed her down. They talked about the meeting, where the board wanted CatCo to go. 

“Lee, we can’t let them turn CatCo into a gossip rag! We’ve done too much work to be reduced to clickbait. I became a reporter because I wanted to find the true story behind every situation. You were the person who planted the idea in my head. What can we do?”

“Just keep writing the truth, Kar. Our ratings and viewership have only risen with the stories of Supergirl and Guardian. The board only speaks in money, and soon enough they’ll understand.”

“Okay, that I can do. Hey, the cliffhanger on _The Mandalorian_ makes me want to finish it ASAP. How about another movie night, seeing as my pajamas are already at your place?”

“Sure darling, I would love to have you over again. Just make sure to shower before you get into my bed again, you smelled like petroleum!”

“Excuse you, but I take up to 5 showers every day because of Supergirl duty! I smell like nothing but vanilla and strawberries!”

“Evidently you took all your 5 showers in the early morning and afternoon, because I was afraid you’d explode into a ball of flames if you vibrated any faster.”

Kara was about to reply, but cocked her head to the side.

“Duty calls?”

In a blink, Kara was in her suit and her work clothes were draped over the couch arm. She handed her glasses off to Lena and pulled her into a hug. 

“I’m afraid I have to go, Miss McLuthor,” Kara adopted her Supergirl voice. 

Lena pushed herself up to the tip of her toes and kissed Kara on the cheek, lingering only for a second.

“Go get ‘em, Supergirl, knock ‘em dead.”

Kara grinned and flew out the balcony, leaving Lena to look worriedly after her. She turned to the couch and started folding Kara’s clothes, just to give her hands something to do. _For someone with super speed, she’s the laziest person I’ve met. But goddamnit do I still love her._

After stacking Kara’s clothes into a neat pile on the couch and laying her glasses on top, Lena went back to her desk and got started on the work she had left.

———————

At 6:00 on the dot Kara strode in easily. Each passing day, she relied on her cane less and less, to Lena’s delight. Lena walked into familiar arms, fixed Kara’s crooked shirt collar and tie, and handed the blonde the clothes she had left behind earlier, then turned to start her nightly routine. They went down the elevator, in the car, and up to Lena’s penthouse in relative silence, reflecting on the day they’d just had.

“How was the rest of your day?” Kara asked over her shoulder as she went into the bathroom to change.

“Quite alright. People really warmed up to the idea of my new last name, and the transition is easier than I thought. Maybe people truly see me as not-a-Luthor.”

“Of course they do, Lee! You’ve proven multiple times that you’re good and kind and definitely not like the rest of your family. Your new last name now reflects that! And that calls for celebration.”

Kara exited the bathroom wearing the same clothes as yesterday night, and grabbed Lena’s hands.

“Oh really? And what do you suggest we do, Miss Danvers?”

“In my humble opinion, Miss McLuthor, I think we should binge-watch the remaining seasons of _The Mandalorian_ and eat a disgusting amount of takeout. Then, we have a dance party!”

Lena didn’t know how her little gay heart was going to survive tonight, but she learned long ago that she couldn’t say no to Kara when Kara turned up the puppy eyes. So, she picked her battles and agreed to do just that.

———

By the time they finished _The Mandalorian_ , all the takeout had been eaten, faces were washed, teeth were brushed, and Lena felt her eyelids start to droop a little. However, before she could ask Kara to carry her to bed, Kara moved off the couch and connected her phone to the in-house speaker system. "I’ll Be Seeing You” by Billie Holiday spilled out the speakers. Kara walked back to Lena, stopping in front of her and stretched out her hand.

“Miss McLuthor, may I have this dance?”

“I’d be honored, Miss Danvers.”

Lena fell back on her teachings at the Luthor house, standing from the couch elegantly and adopting the form of the perfect lady. Kara, ever the gentlewoman, led them in a gentle slow dance.

“Did you learn to dance on Krypton?”

“Yeah. My family was important, and we had a lot of events to attend.”

“And jazz?”

Kara blushed. “Ah, that’s a- okay, so- basically- Alex was a little _shit_ and showed me a bunch of television from the 20s through the 40s, and said that they were most current things. It was a real rude awakening when I went to school and found that people do not, in fact, use terms like ‘the bee’s knees’ or ‘golly’. In fact, the first time I used ‘giggle water’ to talk about alcohol Alex had to walk off for a good five minutes. Not that it did anything, I could still hear her, with my super hearing and all. But I found that I really loved jazz. Eliza bought me a record player and a bunch of vinyls growing up. I still have the player somewhere in my apartment, and she sends me a vinyl every year.”

“Seems like a very Alex thing to do.”

Kara hummed and Lena couldn’t resist the temptation any more. Being this close to Kara, whilst listening to this song… she had to say something before she missed her chance. 

“Listen, darling… I have to tell you something, and I hope it doesn’t fuck up our relationship.”

“I’m listening.”

They didn’t stop swaying, but Kara brought her arms up around Lena’s neck, pulling her in for a hug. Lena dropped her forehead on Kara’s shoulder, letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

“Kara, I have feelings for you. More-than-friends feelings. I’m in love with you.”

Lena tensed up and looked down, waiting for rejection from her favorite person. Instead, she felt gentle pressure under her chin, and followed it up to meet Kara’s gaze.

“Me too, Lee.”

A small smile crossed Kara’s face, before she was stoic again.

“I have something to tell you too, and it may be a deal-breaker for you.”

Now it was Kara’s turn to look away, but Lena brought her back with patient eyes and gentle hands. Sensing that this was weighing heavily on Kara, she maneuvered them back to the couch, keeping her hands in Kara’s.

“I- I don’t- know how to- okay so I’m asexual.”

Lena smiled, cupped one of Kara’s cheeks with a hand, then kissed Kara on the nose. 

“Hello asexual, I’m demisexual. Would you like to be my girlfriend?”

“Yes, but with one condition.” Kara tilted her head down to meet Lena’s forehead with hers. “Can I kiss you?”

In lieu of a reply, Lena grabbed Kara gently where her neck met her jawline, and pulled her in for a slow kiss. When she pulled away to breathe, they stayed close and Kara wrapped her in for another hug.

“Darling, would you be so kind as to carry me to bed? I’m tired and I just want to cuddle with you.”

“But of _course_ , my lady, your wish is my command.”

Kara picked Lena up in a bridal carry, like the day before, and brought her to the bedroom, sliding in next to her. Immediately Lena went into sleepy Lena koala mode™ and curled around Kara. Just as she was on the brink of sleep, Kara whispered something in her ear.

“Y’know, sometime in the future, I wouldn’t mind being Mrs. Danvers-McLuthor. But that’s for another day. Sweet dreams, Lee.”

A sleepy kiss on Kara’s neck let her know that the future was bright, and warm.

———

**Author's Note:**

> this fanfic started because of a quote from katie mcgrath saying “lena is possibly lena mcluthor”. maja (@heateqq) & i took this idea and ran with it. written by me (kieran, @fireandfolds) with help & ideas from maja :)
> 
> personal headcanons (well, for this fic):  
> -kara's asexual, because of her kryptonian upbringing & detachment emotion-wise to sex.  
> -lena's demisexual because of the way sex has been used as a casual bargaining tool for her. to really be into the sex she has to intimate with the person first.  
> -lena has a handkerchief. she's a luthor, of course she does.  
> -kara's more butch than in canon, because krypton doesn't care about gender roles. Also, kara with a potsticker tie in catco is all i want.  
> -since finding out about the supergirl thing, lena has extra pairs of glasses & extra sets of clothes in her office, penthouse, and lab.  
> -lena figured out that kara's glasses are fake because she accidentally mixed up her reading glasses with them.  
> -kara minored in psychology at university, as a way to try & "fix" the mental trauma she's gone through. she whips out little facts at the most random times, making lena laugh.  
> -lena's ambidextrous, but she favors her left. she doesn't use her left hand to write at work, though, she doesn't want to give the male board members more fodder to lambast her with.  
> -lena loves jazz because of the twisting melody and harmonies, & she dated a girl who played sax in boarding school. also, wlw singing jazz.  
> -kara loves jazz because the low, thumping, buzz of the double bass is grounding on bad days.  
> -lena 100% makes kara tiny fidget toys and pens out of metals that she's testing for indestructibility.
> 
> anygay, here’s [my carrd](https://fireandfolds.carrd.co/), if you want to find me elsewhere.  
> and please check out some of my other fics, because i swear i have better ones. perhaps my glasses fic? [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23181505/chapters/55488211).


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